Children need 90 mins plus exercise per day

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5198154.stm

Children need to do at least 90 minutes of exercise per day. Talks
about walking and cycling to school.

"The lowest [cardiovascular] risk scores were found in the nine year
olds who did 116 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity activity and
the 15 year olds who did around 88 minutes daily."

"This would correspond to walking at a speed of around 4 km/h for 90
minutes."

Goes on to say that this doesn't have to be all done at once.

4km/h walking pace is equivalent to about a 16km/h cycling pace. So
allowing 15 minutes for the journey that would give a radius around the
school of 2-3 miles. (I guess that most 9 year olds live no further
than this from school)

Seems like providing secure, covered cycling facilities at schools
should be a priority along with lockers to store h*lm*ts[1],
waterproofs etc.

Well that's my offspring covered then, as he cycles the 13-miles each way
between home & educational palace most days of the academic year. Then he's
out on a Saturday and on a Sunday. If the weather is really bad, he does the
cycling on the turbo at home and during the racing season it's time
trialling of a weekend. He is a darned sight fitter in terms of general
fitness than most of his mates as far as I can tell. I wonder how he's
coming along in his scuba diving this week and lots of walking next week...
in the middle of the desert.

Cheers, helen s

[email hidden] came up with the following;:

Quoted message said:

4km/h walking pace is equivalent to about a 16km/h cycling pace. So
allowing 15 minutes for the journey that would give a radius around the
school of 2-3 miles. (I guess that most 9 year olds live no further
than this from school)

Sounds bang on.

Quoted message said:

Seems like providing secure, covered cycling facilities at schools
should be a priority along with lockers to store h*lm*ts[1],
waterproofs etc.

IMHO the problem is not the supply of facilities, but more to do with the
mindset of parents. If their child doesn't (or indeed the parent/guardian)
want to walk to school, it seems the _only_ alternative open is to drive.
If we could educate the parents more, or make it more viable for them to see
and use alternatives to car use for taking children to school, it'd help far
more than providing more (any) cycling facilities.

Quoted message said:

Another possibility (won't be popular with the daily wail) would be to
ban all parking within 1000m of a school between 8:30 to 9:30 and 15:00
to 16:30. Apart from the kids getting their 15mins exercise, it will
also probably make things safer for them.

That would make a whole shed-load of difference. The streets around my
schools and the school entrances are potential death-traps every day. We've
had one almost fatal (ICU for three weeks) accident and about 9 or 10
smaller 'accidents' with children in mornings in the last two years ... and
(wouldn't you believe it) the day the council sent out a 'working party' to
look into the problem was the day when half of one school was away on a trip
and the whole of the other school was shutdown for a training day, so
inevitably there isn't a problem in the councils eyes ...

We're dreading the day when the inevitable happens ....

--
Paul ...
(8(|) Homer Rules ..... Doh !!!

"Paul - [censored]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] came up with the following;:

Quoted message said:

4km/h walking pace is equivalent to about a 16km/h cycling pace. So
allowing 15 minutes for the journey that would give a radius around the
school of 2-3 miles. (I guess that most 9 year olds live no further
than this from school)

Sounds bang on.

Quoted message said:

Seems like providing secure, covered cycling facilities at schools
should be a priority along with lockers to store h*lm*ts[1],
waterproofs etc.

IMHO the problem is not the supply of facilities, but more to do with the
mindset of parents. If their child doesn't (or indeed the
parent/guardian) want to walk to school, it seems the _only_ alternative
open is to drive. If we could educate the parents more, or make it more
viable for them to see and use alternatives to car use for taking children
to school, it'd help far more than providing more (any) cycling
facilities.

I agree for the most part. Over the years my offspring has been cycling to
school, I've had many a comment from other parents which go from the
incredulous about cycling the 6 miles that he used to to his old high
school, to being totally gob-smacked over his current 26-mile round trip, to
having my abilities as a parent questioned... I half-expected calls from
social services for being a bad parent exposing my son to such danger as
cycling... But the attitude of the school also plays an important part. The
attitude of my son's current place is much better than his high school had.
At the old place it was seen as a hassle to have a kid cycling to school -
his tutor wouldn't let my son store his lid in a cupboard in the classroom
as it was 'too much trouble'.

Cheers, helen s

Paul - [censored] said the following on 21/07/2006 09:30:

Quoted message said:

IMHO the problem is not the supply of facilities, but more to do with
the mindset of parents.

I've wondered how much of the school run thing originated in the
Thatcher years where her stated aim was that everyone should own a car,
and her statement that if you are over 30 and find yourself on public
transport, then you are a failure. I'm sure the amount of unnecessary
car usage increased sharply around the early 1980's. I expect there's a
government graph somewhere that will show this isn't the case!

Quoted message said:

That would make a whole shed-load of difference. The streets around my
schools and the school entrances are potential death-traps every day.

I used to live bang opposite a main school gate (I really do mean
exactly opposite, as in the lollipop lady crossed kids over from the end
of my drive) and I know exactly what you mean. I would love to see the
whole thing turned around so that you are only allowed to be driven
closer than, say, half a mile from the school if you have good reason
to. Make driving the exception rather than the rule, and encourage
cycling and walking rather than discouraging it with petty regulations
about bike sheds and certificates! I know some school runs are even
less than half a mile, which is ridiculous. I have absolutely no idea
how anything like this could be enforced though except on a voluntary
reporting basis!

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Quoted message said:

I know some school runs are even
less than half a mile, which is ridiculous.

Agreed 100%. I live about 1/3 mile from the local infant and junior
schools. My 6-year-old can walk to school faster than the people
opposite who go through the palava of getting the car out, unlocking
and re-locking gates, and so on.

What a waste.

PhilD

--
<><

PhilD said:

Quoted message said:

I know some school runs are even
less than half a mile, which is ridiculous.

Agreed 100%. I live about 1/3 mile from the local infant and junior
schools. My 6-year-old can walk to school faster than the people
opposite who go through the palava of getting the car out, unlocking
and re-locking gates, and so on.

I live 200m from a primary school.
A neighbour drives her kid to school if there is the slightest hint of a
cloud in the sky.

John B

John B said:

PhilD said:

Quoted message said:

I know some school runs are even
less than half a mile, which is ridiculous.

Agreed 100%. I live about 1/3 mile from the local infant and junior
schools. My 6-year-old can walk to school faster than the people
opposite who go through the palava of getting the car out, unlocking
and re-locking gates, and so on.

I live 200m from a primary school.
A neighbour drives her kid to school if there is the slightest hint of a
cloud in the sky.

A neighbour's (next street, almost backs on to my house) boy goes to
the same BB unit as my son. We walk or cycle. He almost invariably is
driven.

It is a whole 8 minute walk though (about half a mile).

...d

wafflycat came up with the following;:

Quoted message said:

"Paul - [censored]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] came up with the following;:

Quoted message said:

4km/h walking pace is equivalent to about a 16km/h cycling pace. So
allowing 15 minutes for the journey that would give a radius around the
school of 2-3 miles. (I guess that most 9 year olds live no further
than this from school)

Sounds bang on.

Quoted message said:

Seems like providing secure, covered cycling facilities at schools
should be a priority along with lockers to store h*lm*ts[1],
waterproofs etc.

IMHO the problem is not the supply of facilities, but more to do with the
mindset of parents. If their child doesn't (or indeed the
parent/guardian) want to walk to school, it seems the _only_ alternative
open is to drive. If we could educate the parents more, or make it more
viable for them to see and use alternatives to car use for taking
children to school, it'd help far more than providing more (any) cycling
facilities.

I agree for the most part. Over the years my offspring has been cycling to
school, I've had many a comment from other parents which go from the
incredulous about cycling the 6 miles that he used to to his old high
school, to being totally gob-smacked over his current 26-mile round trip,
to having my abilities as a parent questioned... I half-expected calls
from social services for being a bad parent exposing my son to such
danger as cycling...

LOL, because I make our eldest son walk the four miles to his school, or if
he gets up early enough he can catch the bus, we've also had someone say
that they'll 'tell the social' about us. Gobsmacked is probably a good
description ...

My youngest son is at one of my schools, so actually lives 'on-site' ... he
walks every day too ... 😉

Quoted message said:

But the attitude of the school also plays an
important part. The attitude of my son's current place is much better
than his high school had. At the old place it was seen as a hassle to
have a kid cycling to school - his tutor wouldn't let my son store his
lid in a cupboard in the classroom as it was 'too much trouble'.

I totally agree there is a need for more cycle oriented facilities, but I
think it's secondary to actually getting kids cycling to school in the first
place. If enough start to cycle the schools are almost 'forced' into
providing facilities.

--
Paul ...
(8(|) Homer Rules ..... Doh !!!

Quoted message said:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5198154.stm

Children need to do at least 90 minutes of exercise per day. Talks
about walking and cycling to school.

"The lowest [cardiovascular] risk scores were found in the nine year
olds who did 116 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity activity and
the 15 year olds who did around 88 minutes daily."

"This would correspond to walking at a speed of around 4 km/h for 90
minutes."

Ferchrissake, 4Km/h is a slow stroll! Even on the uphill, that only
becomes "moderate to vigorous" once you're well past retirement age,
and/or not at all well.

Quoted message said:

4km/h walking pace is equivalent to about a 16km/h cycling pace.

That'll be on a decent-quality adult bike. Not on, for instance,
those knobbly tyres *every* child in the "cycling and your child"
photos is using. And 16Km/h onna bike does become exercise when
you're on the uphill.

Quoted message said:

Seems like providing secure, covered cycling facilities at schools
should be a priority along with lockers to store h*lm*ts[1],
waterproofs etc.

No argument with your conclusion:-)

Quoted message said:

However:

"She said there were a number of schemes working to increase physical
activity among young people, including issuing schoolchildren with
pedometers - devices that measure how many steps someone takes."

Hehe. And if they like 'em, that'll make them ... pedophiles?
Oops, better not confuse the journos.

--
not me guv

Paul - censored said:

I totally agree there is a need for more cycle oriented facilities, but I
think it's secondary to actually getting kids cycling to school in the first
place. If enough start to cycle the schools are almost 'forced' into
providing facilities.

Regrettably so many schools try and dissuade cycling to school using the lack
of 'facilities' as an reason.
They also try and impose rules such as requiring CP training before allowing
bikes on premises, even where such training is unavailable.
Local authorities can support this position for many reasons, not least because
more cycling = potential increase in casualty figures.

John B

Paul - censored said:

I totally agree there is a need for more cycle oriented facilities, but I
think it's secondary to actually getting kids cycling to school in the first
place. If enough start to cycle the schools are almost 'forced' into
providing facilities.

But if the schools provide no facilities at all, even to the extent of
prohibiting bikes on the school grounds in some cases if reports here
are to be believed, then there will be no cycling to school.

I'm not suggesting that every school should immediately go out and buy
sufficient provisionning such that every child in the school could
cycle to school but that every school should be required to provide
some, and should expand it as and when demand requires.

And in this carrot and stick world, if you got a locker to put your
helmet[1] in if you cycled to school then maybe some children would
choose[2] to cycle so they could get the locker.

Tim.

[1] I'm not sure I approve of bribing children to wear helmets but ...

[2] I really hate this word. Why does choose rhyme with lose and how
are you ever supposed to get chose, choose, lose, loose right ;-)

Quoted message said:

Another possibility (won't be popular with the daily wail) would be to
ban all parking within 1000m of a school between 8:30 to 9:30 and 15:00
to 16:30. Apart from the kids getting their 15mins exercise, it will
also probably make things safer for them.

It's a nice idea but I think it would be virtually unenforceable. It's
next to impossible to prevent them parking on the zig-zags as it is.

--
Dave...

My kid's school recently did a survey about journeys to and from
school.
This is a nursery/reception/infants/junior school where more than half
the kids are too young to be allowed to arrive/leave on their own.
Most of the kids live within a short walk, so cycling isn't "necessary"
although quite a few do ride their bikes for fun.
Of those who drive, most of them don't do it because they feel it is
too far to walk or cycle, or for safety or fear of the rain. In the
morning most of the drivers are dropping the kids off on their way to
work, it just saves time compared with walking or cycling to school,
going home again and then setting off again in the car.
So to persuade the school-run drivers out of their cars and on to bikes
they need to be persuaded to cycle to work too, not just the short
distance to school.
Incidentally, the biggest disincentive to walking was not the traffic
outside the school gates but the quantity of dog [censored] on the pavements.

dkahn400 said:

Quoted message said:

Another possibility (won't be popular with the daily wail) would be to
ban all parking within 1000m of a school between 8:30 to 9:30 and 15:00
to 16:30. Apart from the kids getting their 15mins exercise, it will
also probably make things safer for them.

It's a nice idea but I think it would be virtually unenforceable. It's
next to impossible to prevent them parking on the zig-zags as it is.

This seems to be a good start, though: http://tinyurl.com/r7nfd

sothach twisted the electrons to say:

Quoted message said:

dkahn400 said:

It's a nice idea but I think it would be virtually unenforceable. It's
next to impossible to prevent them parking on the zig-zags as it is.

This seems to be a good start, though: http://tinyurl.com/r7nfd

<nods> Though to be frank, the CSOs they tried using should've been
issuing fixed penalty notices by the bucket load. (As pointed out by one
of the comments on that article.)
--
These opinions might not even be mine ...
Let alone connected with my employer ...

"dkahn400" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Another possibility (won't be popular with the daily wail) would be to
ban all parking within 1000m of a school between 8:30 to 9:30 and 15:00
to 16:30. Apart from the kids getting their 15mins exercise, it will
also probably make things safer for them.

It's a nice idea but I think it would be virtually unenforceable. It's
next to impossible to prevent them parking on the zig-zags as it is.

--
Dave...

There's a school a few miles up the road from me, on the main road between
here & home, at Scarning. It's located on one side of a bend in the road.
Not only do the selfish multitude park on the zig-zags outside the school
(heaven forbid their little darlings actually use their legs for more than a
few metres at once) but they park all the way round the bend - thus making
it a tricky manouvre to go past them safely on the road, be you motorist or
cyclist, as you are effectively travelling blind to oncoming traffic for a
long distance. I'm sorely tempted, once the summer holidays are over, and
it's back to normal chaos along there, to drop the head of the school a line
asking if he/she can remind parents that their parking is dangerous, I'm
also tempted to complain to plod. There's been several times where I've been
stopped on that bend, waiting for oncoming traffic to pass so I can pull out
to go past the long line of parked cars, when there's been a screech of
brakes behind me as a car has had to do an emergency stop to avoid hitting
the back of me. I've seen it happen to others too.

Cheers, helen s

wafflycat said:

I'm sorely tempted, once the summer holidays are over, and
it's back to normal chaos along there, to drop the head of the school a line
asking if he/she can remind parents that their parking is dangerous, I'm
also tempted to complain to plod.

Chances are the head is constantly reminding parents exactly that. The
police may have a blitz on the place if you're lucky. It will make a
dramatic difference for a day or two, but as soon as they're gone it'll
be business as usual.

--
Dave...

dkahn400 said:

wafflycat said:

I'm sorely tempted, once the summer holidays are over, and
it's back to normal chaos along there, to drop the head of the
school a line asking if he/she can remind parents that their parking
is dangerous, I'm also tempted to complain to plod.

Chances are the head is constantly reminding parents exactly that. The
police may have a blitz on the place if you're lucky. It will make a
dramatic difference for a day or two, but as soon as they're gone
it'll be business as usual.

What really needs to be done of course, is to have the head find someone
who's prepared to police it. Obviously, though, that's pretty much
orthogonal to the process of actually educating children (except in the
knowledge of the fact that "having a metal cage around doesn't exempt you
from having to be polite", which is important, but not what schools are for)

A

"sothach" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

dkahn400 said:

Quoted message said:

Another possibility (won't be popular with the daily wail) would be to
ban all parking within 1000m of a school between 8:30 to 9:30 and 15:00
to 16:30. Apart from the kids getting their 15mins exercise, it will
also probably make things safer for them.

It's a nice idea but I think it would be virtually unenforceable. It's
next to impossible to prevent them parking on the zig-zags as it is.

This seems to be a good start, though: http://tinyurl.com/r7nfd

Fourth paragraph from the end:

'Parking here is not causing me any harm. Everyone else will just have to go
around me,' she said.

People with attitudes like that should be banned from having children in the
first place.